THEME: Physically fit, productive and balanced with FUN!
(1. Speak 2.Travel to speak 3.Fun)
A. FAMILY
1. Bonnie 2. Melissa/Nathan/Malcolm 3. Adam 4. Extended family: birthdays, vacations, recognition.
B. HEALTH
1. Weigh 187 or less, year round (1)
2. Body fat 19% or less
3. No wine unless <190 (4 free days per month): Then, weekends, vacations and special events only
4. Workouts 5 times a week/250 a year
5. Marathons: 4 per year in quest of 50 states goal set in 2004, finish 2016 (thru 2009, 26 states completed)
-2/7 Surf City, CA
-5/2 Vancouver, BC
-8/22 Pikes Peak, CO
- 3 more as opportunities present
6. Ironman and Marathon in all 7 continents in 7 years- finish 2014 (2)
(4 Ironmans on 3 continents completed thru 2009)
7. Ironman Brazil 5/31; qualify for Hawaii
8. Ironman World Championship-Hawaii 10/9
9. Triathlons various
- 3/27 Oceanside 70.3
- 6/27 Philly Olympic
- 8/29 Chicago Olympic
- 9/26 Mission Viejo Olympic
-10/17 Austin 70.3
10. Swim yards 230,000/ 75 hours
11. Run 8 hours month/100 year/600 miles year
12. Bike 18 hours month/220 hours year/275 miles mo/3300 miles year
13. Strength/weights workouts 8 month/96 year
14. 100 crunches daily
15. Pushups by quarter: Daily- 10/20/20/30
16. Pikes Peak Summit 8/22
17. Blood platelets donation 5x year
18. Doctors: Medical June; Dentist Feb/June/Oct; Eyes June; Skin Mar/ Sep
19. Colonoscopy
20. Floss daily
21. Water/half gallon/daily
C. QUALITY OF LIFE: TRAVEL/VACATIONS
1. Barcelona Feb 21-26
2. Vancouver/Whistler Apr 29-May 2
3. Brazil May 20-31
4. Montreal Jun 15-20
5. Australia/NZ Jul 17-31
6. South Africa Sep 1-11
7. UK Sep 12-16
8. Amsterdam Sep 17-20
9. Hawaii Oct 4-11
D. VISITS WITH MELISSA/NATHAN/MALCOLM (3)
1. Mar 5-8 Charlottesville
2. Mar 26-Apr 4 San Clemente
3. Jun 25-28 Philly
4. Oct 4-11 Hawaii
5. Dec 23-27 Charlottesville Christmas
E. QUALITY OF LIFE – GOLF
1. Index 12 or below
2. 18 rounds
3. Pursue Top 100 – goal set in 2000/ 79 complete thru 2009
Possible opportunities:
1/12 Jacksonville, Fl
1/15 Rhodes, Iowa
1/22 Las Vegas
3/28 Scottsdale, AZ
8/10-11 Los Angeles
8/25-27 Green Bay, WI
10/12-13 Chicago, IL
10/15 Austin
11/30-12/1 Detroit, MI
12/14-15 North Carolina
F. EVENTS
1. Bonnie 60th Bday – April
2. African Safari – Sep
3. GOT – April
4. Race car Richard Petty
5. Hanglide
6. Holiday Party – Jan
7. Four wine tasting dinners @ house
8. Presidential Libraries: 6/13 complete
9. Apply for Amazing Race
G. HOUSEHOLD
1. LaQuinta house rental
2. Costa Mesa house rental
3. Investment Mgmt review 3x year
H. BALANCE/ PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
1. Manage/monitor sleep nights
Qtr 1 2 3 4 Total
Biz 35 25 33 36 129
Hom 46 35 37 39 157
Fun 9 32 22 17 80
Total 90 92 92 92 366
Meals-H 30 20 22 25 97
2. Books 24 year/ 2 month
3. Magazines 14 month
4. Movies 48 year/ 4 month
5. Daily paper
I. FOOTNOTES
1. A few goals specifically identified as:
- (1) non-negotiable
- (2) most difficult
- (3) most important
2. Send 4+ letters/notes per year to someone who made a difference in my life-thank them and let them know.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Management Lessons on an Aircraft Carrier at Sea
I thought everyone that reads my blog would be interested in the post below....
Subject: Top Ten Lessons from the USN: Management Lessons on an Aircraft Carrier at Sea From the net.courtesy of CHINFO News Clips, by Guy Kawasaki, June 10
This is a guest post by Bill Reichert, my colleague at Garage Technology Ventures. He and I recently joined other bloggers for an overnight trip on the USS Nimitz. The USS Nimitz is an aircraft carrier that's named after Chester Nimitz (Nimitz signed the US/Japan surrender terms that at the end of World War II). The Nimitz has a crew of approximately 3,000 men and women. When an air wing is deployed on it, the total number of personnel becomes 5,000. It is part of Carrier Strike Group 11.
Very few people have the opportunity to experience life on a nuclear aircraft carrier up close and personal. Recently, I had the extraordinary experience of spending a day and a night at sea in the Pacific on board the USS Nimitz. I was part of a Navy outreach program to give ordinary landlubbers like me a perspective on the mission and operations of a naval strike group.
I was excited. Who would turn down a chance to get on top of a nuclear power plant driving 100,000 tons of steel through the ocean, with 5,000 men and women handling scores of aircraft, carrying thousands of pounds of bombs and missiles, burning thousands of gallons of jet fuel a day, with margins measured in inches, and tolerances of seconds?
What could possibly go wrong? As a Prius-driving, granola-eating, anti-gun, Left-Coast Californian, I do not fit the stereotype of the typical armed forces booster. I am inclined to favor green technology over weapons of mass destruction. But I discovered during my visit that many of us who are working in non-military organizations, and who may not have given a second thought to the Navy as a model, would do well to understand how a small city floating on the ocean works. From startup entrepreneurs to seasoned executives, we can learn a lot from the U.S. Navy, from the enlisted men and women as well as from the commanding officers.
When we got to the Naval Air Station on Coronado Island in San Diego, we received a quick slide presentation before we flew off to the Nimitz, a hundred miles or so off the coast. Then again, when we met with the admiral on the ship that evening, we got another slide presentation. There were five or six dot points on the power point slides outlining the mission of the Navy, but frankly I can't remember them all. All I can remember is the impression that, fundamentally, the mission of the U.S. Navy is to make the world safe. It's a pretty ambitious objective. You may approve or disapprove of this as the best use of taxpayer money, but if you spend any time on a nuclear aircraft carrier, you have to admit they do a pretty impressive job.
During about thirty hours of immersion with sailors and pilots (and public affairs officers), I realized that were several principles at work that make the Navy so successful-principles that are not at all unique to running an aircraft carrier-representing important lessons for everyone interested in entrepreneurship, innovation, teamwork, and management:
Inspiration: Having a big, meaningful goal is a tremendous force for inspiration, motivation, and cohesion. The Navy's mission is not some vague, abstract, feel-good paragraph in a business plan; it is very concrete, and very easy to understand and internalize. In addition to defending America, fighting terrorists, and rescuing victims of piracy, the Navy takes enormous pride in their role in helping the tsunami victims in 2004, and in helping the Katrina victims in 2005.
While everyone I talked with had his or her own particular story, everyone had a distinct and powerful pride in what they had accomplished and in the people around them. It was frankly astounding. Even in the best organizations, in my experience, such a core consistency of pride is extremely rare. Of course, most organizations don't have a mission as inspirational as the U.S. Navy.
Perspiration: If everyone buys into the goal, you can get an amazing amount of work done, including regular sixteen hour days with very low pay. The Nimitz does not offer a 9-to-5 workday. Some days, crews are on the flight deck for fourteen or sixteen hours, into the wee hours of the morning, inhaling noxious fumes and making sure every plane gets back safely. And then after the planes get back at midnight, the maintenance crew is still at work making sure the planes are ready for the next day. A maintenance chief told me that, given the age of the planes and the stress of carrier flying, it is typical that a plane requires twenty-five hours of maintenance for every hour of flight time. That seems inefficient, but the alternative is unacceptable. You don't want to fly a plane that is anything less than 100 percent maintained.
Teamwork: As much as the movie Top Gun created the impression that it's about competing to be Number 1, the ethic in an actual operating situation is intensely about team performance. Watching the crews maintain, fuel, setup, and pilot F-18s for flight, it's clear it's not about who's the hottest dog on the deck. Every single person counts on other members of the team to enable them to get their part of the job done, and no one person can take credit for success, or benefit from another's failure.
Recruiting and training: There is a common misperception that the military attracts the lower performers in our society who have no other choices. The Navy is very fortunate to have more people who want to join than there are available slots. But more important, the men and women who make it through training are astoundingly competent people. The lesson here is that it's not about fancy degrees and prior polish; it's about a commitment to excellence in each individual, and the willingness to work to exhaustion to make sure you live up to your commitment.
Accountability and continuous improvement: There is no contradiction between an intense ethic of teamwork and the need for individual accountability. In the Navy, everything is monitored and measured.
Every system has to perform at 100 percent, and for every system there is a person responsible for making sure that happens. Every cycle of take-offs and landings is measured and scored. And every score is assessed to figure out a way to do it better. During launch cycles, the drill is to get a plane catapulted off the deck every sixty seconds. According to our hosts, during the training exercise we watched, the greatest variation off that was fifteen seconds. Wouldn't it be cool if O'Hare could match that?
Respect: In the Navy, if you don't like someone because of their race, or creed, or whatever, you have the opportunity to change your mind, because that person may be living in the bunk fourteen inches away from you. Respect isn't just an altruistic ethic, it's a necessity.
More so than any other institution, the U.S. military has been successful at integrating America's young men and women. I'm sure the Navy is not perfect in this regard, but when I looked around the bridge and saw the incredibly diverse team of men and women who were calmly, confidently, and competently running this multi-billion dollar acme of American technological accomplishment, I thought why can't all of America be more like this? Actually, most high tech companies are well integrated when it comes to race and creed (less so gender), but when it comes to respect among individuals, most organizations have a lot to learn.
Overcoming fear: On a busy aircraft carrier, there are a lot of things that happen that are really scary, and people die. Despite the macho prototype of the Navy pilot, in private these pilots admit that landing a jet on a moving carrier at night is a downright terrifying experience. Watching a series of jets land at night, you get the impression that it must be pretty easy, because they do it so well.
But it isn't easy, and even with years of practice and experience, it's nerve-wracking. And you do it, because it's your responsibility and that's the only way the mission gets accomplished.
Work/Life balance: It's hard to imagine how people in the military handle being away from their families for months at a time, in environments that are almost entirely work. It's clear that it is not easy for most. My impression is that the Navy tries to ease the strain by creating a work environment that is much looser and more casual than we expected. We thought the crew aboard the ship would be much more heavily starched than they were, and that the interactions between subordinates and superiors would be much stiffer. We were amazed at how relatively easygoing everyone was, considering that they were responsible for one of the most massive concentrations of firepower on the planet. When you are on the line, there is no slack, and there is no room for anything less than 100 percent. But when there is a break in the action, you can relax and be human.
Reverence and irreverence: The week before our visit, the Nimitz lost five crew in a helicopter accident. These were not strangers; these were co-workers and friends. Among the pilots, it seems that everyone has at least one story of a good friend who was lost. For these men and women, death is all too real. There are memorials around the ship to remind everyone of those who have given their lives in the service of their country. At the same time, there is an irreverence that pops up quite frequently, sometimes when you wouldn't expect it. The captain, in welcoming us, referred to the aircraft carrier as being "kind of like a jail, except there's the possibility of drowning." Not exactly what you would expect to hear. And the whole call sign culture-pilots with nicknames like "Freak Show" and "Booger," to make sure no one takes themselves too seriously and everyone appreciates that even the best of the best are human.
One-hundred percent performance: From moment to moment, the operations on board a nuclear aircraft carrier expose the crew to an extraordinary degree of danger. A simple mistake can result in death, and much of what is being done on the ship and in the air is not at all simple. But they make it look simple. We watched scores of planes take off and land on a moving platform without a hitch. The key is training, training, training, and total focus and dedication when you are on the line. The activity on the flight deck looks a little random and pretty informal-no stiff spines or tight formations. But in the end, you realize you've watched an amazingly choreographed ballet, with an underlying intelligence and efficiency that comes from a lot of people working together to optimize the total performance of the organization.
Those are my top ten lessons from the U.S. Navy. Some of my colleagues on the trip have some additional perspectives to add. (You can see links to their travelogues below.) But all of us discovered that we can learn a lot from the U.S. Navy.
Certainly the Navy is not perfect. As in any organization, there are egos and frustrations and resentments. And people make mistakes, and bad things happen. Not everyone agrees with every decision made up the chain of command, or back in Washington, DC. The Navy understands that it is not well-served by squashing free thought, but everyone in the Navy appreciates that there is a time and a place for debate, and the deal is that you are signed up to do what the organization needs you to do once you are on the line.
Not every entrepreneur wants to model his or her organization and culture on the Navy. For many entrepreneurs, indeed, that is a very unappealing concept, but that's because they don't really understand what makes the Navy one of the most effective organizations on the planet. Like any other successful organization, it's about the people, not about the technology. The key is harnessing the incredible potential of every individual through inspiration, training, and teamwork.
Honor. Courage. Commitment. Not bad principles for any company.
Subject: Top Ten Lessons from the USN: Management Lessons on an Aircraft Carrier at Sea From the net.courtesy of CHINFO News Clips, by Guy Kawasaki, June 10
This is a guest post by Bill Reichert, my colleague at Garage Technology Ventures. He and I recently joined other bloggers for an overnight trip on the USS Nimitz. The USS Nimitz is an aircraft carrier that's named after Chester Nimitz (Nimitz signed the US/Japan surrender terms that at the end of World War II). The Nimitz has a crew of approximately 3,000 men and women. When an air wing is deployed on it, the total number of personnel becomes 5,000. It is part of Carrier Strike Group 11.
Very few people have the opportunity to experience life on a nuclear aircraft carrier up close and personal. Recently, I had the extraordinary experience of spending a day and a night at sea in the Pacific on board the USS Nimitz. I was part of a Navy outreach program to give ordinary landlubbers like me a perspective on the mission and operations of a naval strike group.
I was excited. Who would turn down a chance to get on top of a nuclear power plant driving 100,000 tons of steel through the ocean, with 5,000 men and women handling scores of aircraft, carrying thousands of pounds of bombs and missiles, burning thousands of gallons of jet fuel a day, with margins measured in inches, and tolerances of seconds?
What could possibly go wrong? As a Prius-driving, granola-eating, anti-gun, Left-Coast Californian, I do not fit the stereotype of the typical armed forces booster. I am inclined to favor green technology over weapons of mass destruction. But I discovered during my visit that many of us who are working in non-military organizations, and who may not have given a second thought to the Navy as a model, would do well to understand how a small city floating on the ocean works. From startup entrepreneurs to seasoned executives, we can learn a lot from the U.S. Navy, from the enlisted men and women as well as from the commanding officers.
When we got to the Naval Air Station on Coronado Island in San Diego, we received a quick slide presentation before we flew off to the Nimitz, a hundred miles or so off the coast. Then again, when we met with the admiral on the ship that evening, we got another slide presentation. There were five or six dot points on the power point slides outlining the mission of the Navy, but frankly I can't remember them all. All I can remember is the impression that, fundamentally, the mission of the U.S. Navy is to make the world safe. It's a pretty ambitious objective. You may approve or disapprove of this as the best use of taxpayer money, but if you spend any time on a nuclear aircraft carrier, you have to admit they do a pretty impressive job.
During about thirty hours of immersion with sailors and pilots (and public affairs officers), I realized that were several principles at work that make the Navy so successful-principles that are not at all unique to running an aircraft carrier-representing important lessons for everyone interested in entrepreneurship, innovation, teamwork, and management:
Inspiration: Having a big, meaningful goal is a tremendous force for inspiration, motivation, and cohesion. The Navy's mission is not some vague, abstract, feel-good paragraph in a business plan; it is very concrete, and very easy to understand and internalize. In addition to defending America, fighting terrorists, and rescuing victims of piracy, the Navy takes enormous pride in their role in helping the tsunami victims in 2004, and in helping the Katrina victims in 2005.
While everyone I talked with had his or her own particular story, everyone had a distinct and powerful pride in what they had accomplished and in the people around them. It was frankly astounding. Even in the best organizations, in my experience, such a core consistency of pride is extremely rare. Of course, most organizations don't have a mission as inspirational as the U.S. Navy.
Perspiration: If everyone buys into the goal, you can get an amazing amount of work done, including regular sixteen hour days with very low pay. The Nimitz does not offer a 9-to-5 workday. Some days, crews are on the flight deck for fourteen or sixteen hours, into the wee hours of the morning, inhaling noxious fumes and making sure every plane gets back safely. And then after the planes get back at midnight, the maintenance crew is still at work making sure the planes are ready for the next day. A maintenance chief told me that, given the age of the planes and the stress of carrier flying, it is typical that a plane requires twenty-five hours of maintenance for every hour of flight time. That seems inefficient, but the alternative is unacceptable. You don't want to fly a plane that is anything less than 100 percent maintained.
Teamwork: As much as the movie Top Gun created the impression that it's about competing to be Number 1, the ethic in an actual operating situation is intensely about team performance. Watching the crews maintain, fuel, setup, and pilot F-18s for flight, it's clear it's not about who's the hottest dog on the deck. Every single person counts on other members of the team to enable them to get their part of the job done, and no one person can take credit for success, or benefit from another's failure.
Recruiting and training: There is a common misperception that the military attracts the lower performers in our society who have no other choices. The Navy is very fortunate to have more people who want to join than there are available slots. But more important, the men and women who make it through training are astoundingly competent people. The lesson here is that it's not about fancy degrees and prior polish; it's about a commitment to excellence in each individual, and the willingness to work to exhaustion to make sure you live up to your commitment.
Accountability and continuous improvement: There is no contradiction between an intense ethic of teamwork and the need for individual accountability. In the Navy, everything is monitored and measured.
Every system has to perform at 100 percent, and for every system there is a person responsible for making sure that happens. Every cycle of take-offs and landings is measured and scored. And every score is assessed to figure out a way to do it better. During launch cycles, the drill is to get a plane catapulted off the deck every sixty seconds. According to our hosts, during the training exercise we watched, the greatest variation off that was fifteen seconds. Wouldn't it be cool if O'Hare could match that?
Respect: In the Navy, if you don't like someone because of their race, or creed, or whatever, you have the opportunity to change your mind, because that person may be living in the bunk fourteen inches away from you. Respect isn't just an altruistic ethic, it's a necessity.
More so than any other institution, the U.S. military has been successful at integrating America's young men and women. I'm sure the Navy is not perfect in this regard, but when I looked around the bridge and saw the incredibly diverse team of men and women who were calmly, confidently, and competently running this multi-billion dollar acme of American technological accomplishment, I thought why can't all of America be more like this? Actually, most high tech companies are well integrated when it comes to race and creed (less so gender), but when it comes to respect among individuals, most organizations have a lot to learn.
Overcoming fear: On a busy aircraft carrier, there are a lot of things that happen that are really scary, and people die. Despite the macho prototype of the Navy pilot, in private these pilots admit that landing a jet on a moving carrier at night is a downright terrifying experience. Watching a series of jets land at night, you get the impression that it must be pretty easy, because they do it so well.
But it isn't easy, and even with years of practice and experience, it's nerve-wracking. And you do it, because it's your responsibility and that's the only way the mission gets accomplished.
Work/Life balance: It's hard to imagine how people in the military handle being away from their families for months at a time, in environments that are almost entirely work. It's clear that it is not easy for most. My impression is that the Navy tries to ease the strain by creating a work environment that is much looser and more casual than we expected. We thought the crew aboard the ship would be much more heavily starched than they were, and that the interactions between subordinates and superiors would be much stiffer. We were amazed at how relatively easygoing everyone was, considering that they were responsible for one of the most massive concentrations of firepower on the planet. When you are on the line, there is no slack, and there is no room for anything less than 100 percent. But when there is a break in the action, you can relax and be human.
Reverence and irreverence: The week before our visit, the Nimitz lost five crew in a helicopter accident. These were not strangers; these were co-workers and friends. Among the pilots, it seems that everyone has at least one story of a good friend who was lost. For these men and women, death is all too real. There are memorials around the ship to remind everyone of those who have given their lives in the service of their country. At the same time, there is an irreverence that pops up quite frequently, sometimes when you wouldn't expect it. The captain, in welcoming us, referred to the aircraft carrier as being "kind of like a jail, except there's the possibility of drowning." Not exactly what you would expect to hear. And the whole call sign culture-pilots with nicknames like "Freak Show" and "Booger," to make sure no one takes themselves too seriously and everyone appreciates that even the best of the best are human.
One-hundred percent performance: From moment to moment, the operations on board a nuclear aircraft carrier expose the crew to an extraordinary degree of danger. A simple mistake can result in death, and much of what is being done on the ship and in the air is not at all simple. But they make it look simple. We watched scores of planes take off and land on a moving platform without a hitch. The key is training, training, training, and total focus and dedication when you are on the line. The activity on the flight deck looks a little random and pretty informal-no stiff spines or tight formations. But in the end, you realize you've watched an amazingly choreographed ballet, with an underlying intelligence and efficiency that comes from a lot of people working together to optimize the total performance of the organization.
Those are my top ten lessons from the U.S. Navy. Some of my colleagues on the trip have some additional perspectives to add. (You can see links to their travelogues below.) But all of us discovered that we can learn a lot from the U.S. Navy.
Certainly the Navy is not perfect. As in any organization, there are egos and frustrations and resentments. And people make mistakes, and bad things happen. Not everyone agrees with every decision made up the chain of command, or back in Washington, DC. The Navy understands that it is not well-served by squashing free thought, but everyone in the Navy appreciates that there is a time and a place for debate, and the deal is that you are signed up to do what the organization needs you to do once you are on the line.
Not every entrepreneur wants to model his or her organization and culture on the Navy. For many entrepreneurs, indeed, that is a very unappealing concept, but that's because they don't really understand what makes the Navy one of the most effective organizations on the planet. Like any other successful organization, it's about the people, not about the technology. The key is harnessing the incredible potential of every individual through inspiration, training, and teamwork.
Honor. Courage. Commitment. Not bad principles for any company.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Black Cars
"More products". "New products". "That's the answer! ". Really?
What are all those people crammed into the Apple stores for? My last visit there I could only count a dozen or so products.
Remember the old Henry Ford story of "we sell black cars" and if that's all we offer, that's what we will sell?
The answer to lagging sales will not be found in "more products". The best sales professionals, regardless of how many products they have, generally sell the majority of the numbers with less than a dozen products-they become experts and specialists in them, and go about selling those "professionally". Too many offerings gets the typical sales person spinning in circles, dizzy, and confused. The cry for "more products" is typically a "weak excuse" by the sales force for not "professionally selling".
Years ago, when I was in the mortgage business, we offered over 50 loan products, representing 25 investors, each with their own nuances and procedures. Our sales folks were buried in their dizziness, yet regularly begged for more (the latest and greatest). It was when we went from 25 investors to 3, and from 50+ programs to a handful, that our sales went up, our service levels went up, and our profits went up.
Take a look at your product offerings. Figure out your version of the "black cars", then teach your sales people how to sell that!
What are all those people crammed into the Apple stores for? My last visit there I could only count a dozen or so products.
Remember the old Henry Ford story of "we sell black cars" and if that's all we offer, that's what we will sell?
The answer to lagging sales will not be found in "more products". The best sales professionals, regardless of how many products they have, generally sell the majority of the numbers with less than a dozen products-they become experts and specialists in them, and go about selling those "professionally". Too many offerings gets the typical sales person spinning in circles, dizzy, and confused. The cry for "more products" is typically a "weak excuse" by the sales force for not "professionally selling".
Years ago, when I was in the mortgage business, we offered over 50 loan products, representing 25 investors, each with their own nuances and procedures. Our sales folks were buried in their dizziness, yet regularly begged for more (the latest and greatest). It was when we went from 25 investors to 3, and from 50+ programs to a handful, that our sales went up, our service levels went up, and our profits went up.
Take a look at your product offerings. Figure out your version of the "black cars", then teach your sales people how to sell that!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Learning from the "Dumb Guys in Class".
I fly on airplanes nearly everyday. So far in 2009, the planes are generally "sold out"- no empty seats.
Now, if I were to say "low cost airline?", most would reply Southwest Airline. They've been doing that "price thing" for years. AND, they have been the only airline in the USA to regularly report profits. All the other airlines continue losing money, despite full airplanes (qualifying them as "Dumb guys in the class").
Do they really think the answer to profitability is "lower prices"? The math just doesn't work. So, I'd suggest it must be something other than price. Here's where to look: improving operations; improving service; improving corporate culture, etc.
Now, how are you faring in this tightened economy? Where are you looking and what are you doing to "make it work". If you think the answer is to "compete on price", I suggest it's time for you to "sit in the corner...with a dunce cap".
Now, if I were to say "low cost airline?", most would reply Southwest Airline. They've been doing that "price thing" for years. AND, they have been the only airline in the USA to regularly report profits. All the other airlines continue losing money, despite full airplanes (qualifying them as "Dumb guys in the class").
Do they really think the answer to profitability is "lower prices"? The math just doesn't work. So, I'd suggest it must be something other than price. Here's where to look: improving operations; improving service; improving corporate culture, etc.
Now, how are you faring in this tightened economy? Where are you looking and what are you doing to "make it work". If you think the answer is to "compete on price", I suggest it's time for you to "sit in the corner...with a dunce cap".
Thursday, September 17, 2009
There's Gotta be a Better Way
This is one I hear all the time. "I'm a professional service firm (ie, lawyers or accountants, etc) and in our type of business a Sales Manager concept won't work. In fact, Sales People won't either. As such, we need to have our professionals do both the technical work and the sales. Since they are professionals and their income is a byproduct of the work they generate, they self-manage."
So, someone wants to be an accountant and invests their time and money to learn to do that. Seeking to be recognized as "professional" they go through the process of becoming industry accredited. Clearly, this is what they want to do. Now, under the premise that this type of business can only be sold by the "doer", we throw the accountant out in the street to "sell his services". Got the picture? I just want to be sure I've got this right. Is this person the correct profile for effective selling? Is this what they enjoy doing and approach it with passion? And since the answers to the prior two questions are probably "NO", wouldn't you think the role of the Sales Manager would be ever more critical?
Just because the circumstances are unique or challenging is not an acceptable reason to default to having the technical professional (accountant) do the selling AND the tech work. Besides, figure out which is the highest payoff activity (ROI) and make sure the focus is properly there.
A partial answer to this challenge is team selling, where the "technical professional" is brought in to help close the deals once the "sales professional" has the prospect further along. And no matter what direction one takes as to doing the sales, someone (Sales Manager) has to ensure the key selling activities are being regularly performed. Whatever your product or service is, would you really want an accountant or lawyer be the key resource to grow your sales? Hey, stop laughing out there. You might hurt the feelings of the "technical professionals" that split shift as sales people!
There's gotta be a better way, find it.
Ps. This brought to you by a former accountant with Arthur Andersen!
So, someone wants to be an accountant and invests their time and money to learn to do that. Seeking to be recognized as "professional" they go through the process of becoming industry accredited. Clearly, this is what they want to do. Now, under the premise that this type of business can only be sold by the "doer", we throw the accountant out in the street to "sell his services". Got the picture? I just want to be sure I've got this right. Is this person the correct profile for effective selling? Is this what they enjoy doing and approach it with passion? And since the answers to the prior two questions are probably "NO", wouldn't you think the role of the Sales Manager would be ever more critical?
Just because the circumstances are unique or challenging is not an acceptable reason to default to having the technical professional (accountant) do the selling AND the tech work. Besides, figure out which is the highest payoff activity (ROI) and make sure the focus is properly there.
A partial answer to this challenge is team selling, where the "technical professional" is brought in to help close the deals once the "sales professional" has the prospect further along. And no matter what direction one takes as to doing the sales, someone (Sales Manager) has to ensure the key selling activities are being regularly performed. Whatever your product or service is, would you really want an accountant or lawyer be the key resource to grow your sales? Hey, stop laughing out there. You might hurt the feelings of the "technical professionals" that split shift as sales people!
There's gotta be a better way, find it.
Ps. This brought to you by a former accountant with Arthur Andersen!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Going the Extra Mile
Just recently I addressed a group of independently owned retailers, who expressed their concerns for survival in competing with the "big box chains". Much of their concerns came down to fighting the price battle. Certainly this is a legitimate concern, faced by many. The great news is "there is life beyond the big boxes"! However, it will require more than "business as usual".
The big boxes can be beat, and are being beat regularly, with service beyond expectations. Critical to this is the quality of the people we hire, how empowered they are to "do the right thing", and how trained they are on "what are the right things".
This all requires consistent communication by the leader, reinforcement of the good examples through reward and recognition, and creativity to go that "extra mile".
Be sure to identify those "extra miles" so all can experience the "why" of doing business with you.
A couple months ago I shared the story of the many "extras" delivered to me by my "independently owned" bike shop. Click on http://www.edgecyclesports.net/ to see examples of that "extra mile". Every business has the opportunity to win the battle with the big boxes; just remember it will require you going that "extra mile".
The big boxes can be beat, and are being beat regularly, with service beyond expectations. Critical to this is the quality of the people we hire, how empowered they are to "do the right thing", and how trained they are on "what are the right things".
This all requires consistent communication by the leader, reinforcement of the good examples through reward and recognition, and creativity to go that "extra mile".
Be sure to identify those "extra miles" so all can experience the "why" of doing business with you.
A couple months ago I shared the story of the many "extras" delivered to me by my "independently owned" bike shop. Click on http://www.edgecyclesports.net/ to see examples of that "extra mile". Every business has the opportunity to win the battle with the big boxes; just remember it will require you going that "extra mile".
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Which Leader Are You?
Why are some companies growing through this tightened economy, while others are struggling? Do you really think they were just fortunate to be in the "right" business sector?
How about this as an answer? The leaders decided to "win" each day and challenged all in the company to come up with creative ways to effectively compete.
The leaders professed often to all in the company that the company would not only survive but thrive in this economy. The leaders were open to new ways to do the business, inclusive of operating in "new to them" channels of business. The leaders became more involved with the sales force, once again calling on "best customers" to both solidify the existing relationship as well as find ways to expand that business with them.
Are you looking for the opportunities presented in this tightened economy, or portraying you and the company as "fighting a losing battle"?
Which leader are you?
How about this as an answer? The leaders decided to "win" each day and challenged all in the company to come up with creative ways to effectively compete.
The leaders professed often to all in the company that the company would not only survive but thrive in this economy. The leaders were open to new ways to do the business, inclusive of operating in "new to them" channels of business. The leaders became more involved with the sales force, once again calling on "best customers" to both solidify the existing relationship as well as find ways to expand that business with them.
Are you looking for the opportunities presented in this tightened economy, or portraying you and the company as "fighting a losing battle"?
Which leader are you?
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